MANILA,
October 21, 2004 (STAR)
RENDEZVOUS By Christine S. Dayrit - My wanderlust has taken me around the
Philippines. Recently, however, I came to the conclusion that I have not
fully combed the many nooks and crannies of the archipelago. Thanks to
On-Foot, the flagship TV show that can be seen on the Living Asia Channel
(carried by Home, Dream, and Destiny Cable) twice a week and formed by Tim
Tayag and Katrina Holigores, I was able to savor even further the beauty
that abounds in our country. Mind you, our discovery of these sights and
sounds was done, yes, on foot.

For their two episodes on Cebu and Palawan, Tim and Katrina invited me to
join them on their domestic sojourn. "This is a different kind of traveling,"
Katrina enthused before we embarked on an Asian Spirit flight that would bring
us first to the Queen City of the South. In Cebu, we were hosted by the
beautiful Islands Shangri-la Mactan where we enjoyed the private white sand
beach, the water sports, the friendly (and hungry) fish near the shore and of
course, the sumptuous seafood that was served in great big heaps at Cowrie Cove.

From the resort, we fled on foot to discover more about what makes the city
of Cebu tick and click. And our discovery is as fantastic as it is fascinating.
Why not when On-Foot is a unique travel show with a comic twist. Devoid of tour
guides, maps and travel books, self-proclaimed traveltologist, Tim Tayag, the
host of the show, decides to get to know where he is, by asking the people
around him. The show has nothing but a rough script and relies heavily on the
kindness (although not so accurate information) of strangers. As always, the
dexterous hands and imaginative mind of Katrina captured every moment of Tim on
film.

The show’s purpose is to highlight world-class facilities in our country,
promoting tourism from both local and foreign visitors, by uncovering both the
well known and the little known "treasures" of every destination. When one
travels "on-foot" and does away with the big tour groups or limits oneself to
what one can read in a publication, one sees and experiences more.

My experience with Tim and Katrina made it clear to me that the gem of the
Philippines is its people. No matter where we seem to go, we never run out of
newly made friends who are not camera shy and generous in helping us find our
way around. The show has three major segments: 1) the destination and what makes
it so unique, from a landmark, or the view, services, activities that the place
offers; 2) the food, which is always different and is a source of pride to the
locals; and 3) the shopping, what could you possibly buy here that you could
send back to friends and families abroad that will make them homesick?

Base on these primary elements of the show, we went crazy with our finds. We
found a locals secret: Parr’t Ebelle. Just off the main shopping complex of SM
Cebu, this place is a little "hole in the wall" that probably serves the best
sinigang known to man. The owner, in his excellent rendition of his version of
sinigang, uses three kinds of fish found at different depths in the ocean to
flavor his stew. One of which is called "Haluan Tasik". The place gets very
crowded after 11 a.m. and one can just have a heaping bowl of sinigang, with one
of the three fishes found and, yes, a cup or two of rice. Of course, one can
also get a grilled squid or blue marlin as they are being freshly cooked just
outside the restaurant. The portions of fish are huge and are guaranteed to
satisfy anybody as the prices are incredibly reasonable.

In terms of shopping, we decided to go to Tabo-an Market which is known for
its dried fish. Instead of getting the normal and much recommended danggit we
went for something more unusual. Dried fish bones! Sold in packs or by the kilo,
this is a delicacy that is best served after being fried in oil. Don’t let its
looks deceive you, the bones are actually incredibly tasty and soft once cooked.

The people behind On-Foot are a force to reckon with. They simply don’t run
out of verve, zest and energy. Tim is not only the host and writer of the show
but also the joker of the group. Katrina is the director and cinematographer.
Incidentally, she was the cinematographer of the highly acclaimed film Bridal
Shower. They have a fellow named Alan Bengzon who brings in steadicam operation
and other useful equipment. Together they form Bacon Burger Productions.

Tim started from the old school of set-up and punchline, where he learned the
basics of comic timing and writing. Standup comedy has been his forte for the
last seven years performing both in the US and the Philippines. His subtle humor
works magically well on the show. Most of the funny moments come from his
naïvete and the reactions of the folks he meets.

Kat comes from a cinematography background. She was director of photography
for several films abroad and in the Philippines. Though film is her first love,
she learned the nuances of video and made it a viable medium for an artist of
her caliber. Humble and reluctant to admit, Kat perfectly fits the role of
director in the program. Her patience, hard work, and love for pork have
sustained the production.

Alan, a British-trained steadicam operator, provides technical expertise and,
at times, comic relief on the set. His camera work makes the show look like
National Geographic.

Just in time when we were watching the rashes of our sojourn in Cebu that the
On-Foot team decided to pack our bags and hop on the next flight that would
bring us to Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan.

Palawan, named the last frontier, is truly a nature lover’s paradise. On this
trip we were hosted by Dos Palmas Resort which is a 50-minute boat ride from the
mainland of Puerto Princesa. The boat ride was very relaxing as we coast along
smooth azure waters filled with a rich variety of fish and bird species. Just
below the resort’s reception area, you will see a big school of jacks, a couple
of sting rays and even, closer to the shoreline of the beach, a school of
barracudas. (Don’t worry, if they’re together they’re pretty safe and will
ignore you).

Dos Palmas has consistently maintained its effort in preserving the
environment. For instance, Dos Palmas uses a waste management system that is not
toxic and may be used later on as a natural fertilizer. If you take a speedboat
around the island, you may be treated to seeing a flock of egrets and other
birds closer to the mangroves. (Tim was even ecstatic when he saw a baby black
tip shark in the shallow waters.) There was also a manta ray spotted as we went
island hopping to Isla Puting Buhangin, a private white sand island about 10
minutes away from the resort. We even had the chance to do some dolphin spotting
and we were fortunate enough to spot four schools of these magnificent
creatures.

At the city of Puerto Princesa, we began to walk again. The city is beginning
to garner attention as a new place for artists to go and reside. One beautiful
and eclectic find on Rizal Avenue is the Kamarikutan, a café and art gallery
founded by former Baguio resident, Dinggot Conde-Prieto. The café is made of all
natural material. It boasts high ceilings and open space and is surrounded by
many trees and bamboos. Although it is located right across the airport it seems
to be a private haven for artists to display their works. The place also serves
vegetarian or pasta meals. The koi fish in the pond are very domesticated and
they love being stroked on the head. There are many souvenir items to be here
including journals made out of narra and mahogany. There are also T-shirts
designed by local artists that depict local scenes and some marine life.

We were also brought to visit the Vietnamese Village where you can have an
authentic Vietnamese meal and buy freshly baked French bread at P5 per loaf.

We had lunch at Ka Lui’s where we were treated to cattlefish sisig, tuna,
grilled prawns, stingray and seaweed which we ate with aplomb. There’s nothing
like fresh seafood. The interiors of Ka Lui’s is very similar to an art gallery.

Our escapade brought us further to Puerto Princesa’s National Highway where
we discovered Phamati Souvenir Village, probably the best the place to get wood
carvings and wood sculptures. We also found a weaver who does table runners and
bags in brilliant colors.

All these and more were captured on film and annotated with wit and wisdom by
a group composed only of three people whose mission in life is to bring to
viewers the hidden treasures many well-known places have kept a secret for the
longest time. Remember to get the maximum experience at a minimum expense–all
you have to do is go on foot.

* * *

On-Foot can be seen twice a week on The Living Asia Channel which is carried
by Home, Dream and Destiny Cable. It airs on Sundays at 6: 30 a.m., 2:30 p.m.
and 10: 30 p.m. with replays on Tuesdays at 4 a.m., 12 noon and 8 p.m.

If you would like to know more about the show or would like to suggest a
destination or establishment featured, e-mail the producers at
onfoottravel@yahoo.com